"2440","JohnnyVon: Self-Replicating Automata in Continuous Two-Dimensional Space","JohnnyVon is an implementation of self-replicating automata in continuous two-dimensional space. Two types of particles drift about in a virtual liquid. The particles are automata with discrete internal states but continuous external relationships. Their internal states are governed by finite state machines but their external relationships are governed by a simulated physics that includes brownian motion, viscosity, and spring-like attractive and repulsive forces. The particles can be assembled into patterns that can encode arbitrary strings of bits. We demonstrate that, if an arbitrary “seed” pattern is put in a “soup” of separate individual particles, the pattern will replicate by assembling the individual particles into copies of itself. We also show that, given sufficient time, a soup of separate individual particles will eventually spontaneously form self-replicating patterns. We discuss the implications of JohnnyVon for research in nanotechnology, theoretical biology, and artificial life.","http://cogprints.org/2440/","Smith, Arnold and Turney, Peter and Ewaschuk, Robert","UNSPECIFIED","       <span class=\"person_name\">Smith, Arnold</span> and <span class=\"person_name\">Turney, Peter</span> and <span class=\"person_name\">Ewaschuk, Robert</span>     (2002)  <a href=\"http://cogprints.org/2440/\"><em>JohnnyVon: Self-Replicating Automata in Continuous Two-Dimensional Space.</em></a>       [Departmental Technical Report]         (Unpublished)   ",",peter.turney,","2002-08"